<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Molecule by Molecule by Hazama_d20</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26958934">Molecule by Molecule</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hazama_d20/pseuds/Hazama_d20'>Hazama_d20</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Danny Phantom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Greatest Hunter, Identity Reveal, Jack being a Father, Jack did take on Vlad Mano a Ghosto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 03:01:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,331</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26958934</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hazama_d20/pseuds/Hazama_d20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack loves his family, including his son. If he has to tear a ghost apart by molecule by molecule, he'll do it. He'd rather make Danny breakfast though.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>324</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Molecule by Molecule</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I had this idea for a one-shot a while ago. The Danny Phantom discord I'm on posted a collection of prompts for ectober, which is something I've never taken part in before, but the very first one was Hunter. Considering this fic includes several ghost hunters, it felt a bit like fate that I had it somewhat ready to go. I just had to get it edited before posting. Thanks to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/aniura/pseuds/aniura">aniura</a> (who's working on her own fic <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26153824/chapters/63633916">Just Fourteen</a>) and <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeroineofTime/pseuds/HeroineofTime">HeroineofTime</a> ( who's working on <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24452716/chapters/59008513">Eidolon Interloper</a>) Both of them beta-read it and gave excellent suggestions.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Jack Fenton chewed on his lip as he shoved a screwdriver into the Fenton Toaster. The toast had popped out of the toaster this morning and just kept floating up. The ecto-converter must have had its valve a bit too open; instead of just toasting the bread, it had imbued it with ghostly properties. Trying to get at it without tearing the entire toaster apart was difficult. Still, he was hoping to fix it before Danny came down for breakfast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He failed; Danny came down into the kitchen long before Jack got the toaster fixed. "Danny!" he shouted. Danny flinched at Jack's voice and turned. "Good morning! The toaster's broken, but I can make you some eggs and microwave you a waffle?" Jack immediately popped up to make him breakfast. Danny loved waffles. He hated toast, but waffles were okay.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had been a while since the two of them had breakfast together, just the two of them. Jack missed it. He couldn’t help but think about Jazz telling him that Danny needed a good role model to look up to. It wasn’t long after they stopped having breakfast together that Danny had started missing his curfew and started having trouble in class. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Danny shook his head. "No thanks, Dad, I'm good," he said, going into the fridge and pulling out the orange juice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You sure?" Jack asked slowly as he stopped himself from running around the table. "It's no trouble." It really wasn’t. Making Danny breakfast had been a big part of their routine back when Danny was in elementary school. He’d tell Danny about the ghosts he was researching, and Danny would watch him with bright eyes and a big smile on his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Danny rolled his eyes, and Jack couldn't help but be disappointed. "I'm sure, Dad." Danny reached into a cabinet to grab a protein bar as he also took out a glass and a travel mug from another cupboard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, do you want me to drive you to school?" Jack offered. It had been a while since Danny had asked Jack to drive him anywhere. He smiled as he remembered Danny encouraging him to go faster. It had been like a rocket ship, and Jack was the captain sent to hunt down the evil ghosts in space. Jazz had been horrified. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Danny froze for a second, obviously scared. That hurt a bit. Jack knew his driving was a bit crazy, but it was part of who he was. Jack Fenton never did anything less than 100%. "Uh... no... that's fine. I was going to walk with Tucker and Sam, and you know how Sam feels about the Fenton GAV."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack's shoulders slumped. "Oh, right." Sam had often complained loudly about how much gas the modified SUV went through. When Jack had pointed out the fact that it ran on ectoplasm, it had only gotten worse. Danny must have got his ideas that ghosts weren't malevolent creatures from Sam, but she made him happy, so it evened out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack watched Danny fill the mug with coffee and the glass with orange juice. The entire time he ate the protein bar hands-free. Jack wondered how that boy managed to juggle pouring two liquids while consuming a relatively meager breakfast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You sure you don't want anything else?" Jack asked. "A growing boy needs a lot of food. We have some great ham in the back! Straight from the butcher! Don't let your mom know, though."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Danny shook his head, his mouth full of the protein bar. He bit off a chunk of the bar and washed it down with the orange juice. "I'll grab an apple and a carrot before I go." Danny went back into the fridge, pulled out their carton of milk, and poured some into his coffee.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack blinked. "I thought you liked your coffee black?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Danny paused and looked up at his dad with some confusion. It seemed he had never noticed Jack watching him drink the stuff all the time. "Uh, yeah, I do, but Jazz has been on my case about not getting enough dairy in my diet. She said I could at least mix it with my coffee since too much coffee is bad for me."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack let out a thoughtful hum. "Well, Jazz usually knows best, but if you wanted, we could buy some more cheese. It's not as good as ham, but it's still tasty!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Danny finally smiled. "That'd be great. I can eat them on the go." He looked at the clock on the microwave. "Speaking of, I gotta go." Danny put the milk back and grabbed the apple and carrot before closing the fridge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack kept a close eye on Danny as he washed the food in the sink. Fortunately, he didn’t see any ectoplasm come off them in the water. He had spent some time last night making sure the fridge was clean, but he still worried. </span>
</p><p>
  <span> After the food was thoroughly washed, Danny grabbed his coffee and ran out of the kitchen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack walked to the doorway of the kitchen. "Bye, son! Watch out-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was interrupted by the door slamming shut.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"-for ghosts...." he finished.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack sighed and looked at the toaster on the table. He decided to look at it later; it wasn't going to do anything as it was now. He made his way down into the lab. Maddie wasn't working on anything at the moment. Instead, she was on the computer. Even from the stairs, he could tell she was looking at old family pictures. The smile on her face was warm. He walked up next to her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Whatcha looking at, Maddie?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maddie smiled and reached up, squeezing one of Jack's hands. "Oh, I just found some old family photos last night. I've scanned them into the computer, and I'm looking over them." With her other hand, she clicked through the photos on the computer. "Remember this?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack let out a booming laugh that echoed in the lab. "Ah, Danny's kindergarten Father's Day project!" he said, smiling brightly. The picture on the screen was of a five-year-old Danny. His chubby face lit up with an ear-to-ear toothy smile holding up a stick figure drawing. It was obviously Jack since the body was orange and the feet and hands were black. The word superhero was written above it in big letters, made by a heavy hand in crayon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack felt the smile on his face begin to waver. "Where did the time go, Maddie?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maddie squeezed his hand. "I find myself asking that same question. They grew up when we weren't looking." She grabbed the computer mouse and clicked around. "I found some old videos too."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The media player popped up on the screen. The video started with Danny, who was about five. Jack couldn't get over how small and tiny he had looked back then.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Dad! Dad! Throw the ball!" Danny shouted. He waved his hands over his head, but the baseball mitt in his hand wasn't sized for him. It looked comically large compared to his tiny body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Alright, get ready, son!" The camera turned to look at Jack. He was still wearing his orange jumpsuit, but you could tell he was a bit younger as well. His hair didn't have the grey streaks in it, and the suit, while odd, was a bit more flattering than it was now. He tossed a softball at Danny, who ran backwards to catch it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Danny tripped over something and fell backward. The smack was just as loud in the video as Jack remembered. In the next second, Jack was running to check on his son. "Danny! You alright?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Danny looked up at Jack, his eyes wide and a bit unfocused. The light cast a shadow over his face, but his eyes stood out. Jack would never forget Danny's eyes; they were just too blue to be anyone else's. "Dad," he said quietly. It was hard to hear the video over the ghost portal’s constant hum, along with all the other machinery in the lab. Still, it came through clear. "Hurts."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I know it does," Jack said, "but you're alright."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ghost?" Danny asked. He looked around, trying to see what he tripped on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, if it was a ghost, it better start running! Otherwise, Jack Fenton is gonna catch it! And tear it apart molecule by molecule for hurting my boy!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Danny’s arms went up, making grabbing motions to get his Dad to pick him up.  He had always been a tactile person, up until the portal activated. "Molecule by molecule!" he chirped back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack scooped Danny up and held him with one arm before ruffling his hair with his other hand. "That's right!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The video stopped, and Jack sighed. "I miss those days. Back when he thought we were heroes." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maddie smiled. "Well, that's why we have to find proof. Once the kids realize that Phantom and the other ghosts are evil, then they'll be thankful. Maybe not at first, but someday, we'll be their heroes again. Once they're safe."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Once they're safe," Jack repeated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maddie locked the computer. "Let's get back to work."</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Jack resisted the urge to wipe the sweat off his brow. He had to be careful. Blood blossoms had gone extinct ages ago, but if he was right, these chemicals would be able to replicate the scents that keep ghosts away. If it worked, then they could set up some traps around the school. It would keep Danny from being interrupted during class. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was just one small issue. If Jack got the ratios of these chemicals wrong while mixing them, it would cause a reaction with oxygen in the air and create an extremely violent exothermic reaction.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In other words, it’d explode. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack poured some of the ectoplasm sample into the vial, 15 milliliters into one liter of the solution. The concoction bubbled, and Jack frowned. It wasn’t supposed to react like that. He glanced down at his notes. In his wife’s perfect handwriting, there it was clear as day. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mix 15 milliliters into 10 liters of solution.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh… Fudge buckets...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When the smoke from the explosion cleared and his ears stopped ringing, Jack felt Maddie's hand on his shoulder. "Uh, Jack, sweetie?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack slumped and sat down in a chair. "I'm doing it again, aren't I?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maddie smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "You do tend to miss things when you get too excited about our work. It's not a bad thing to get excited, but... just not while we're in the middle of experiments." She looked over the tables with the ruined lab equipment on it. She sighed. "I'm going to run to the hardware store and get replacements. Why don't you go on a walk or something?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack nodded and smiled. "Okay!" He gave her a thumbs up. "Who knows! Maybe I'll run into that ghost boy!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maddie smiled. "Well, just in case, bring the ecto-net." She grabbed a bottle of water and poured a bit on her gloved hand. She used the water to clean a bit of soot off his face and kissed him. "Be safe out there! And watch out for ghosts!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You too, Maddie!" Jack said, grabbing the net launcher and going up the stairs. He went out the door and made sure to lock it behind him. He walked down the street and turned toward the direction of the elementary school. Ghosts didn't usually attack there. It was usually the high school that had to deal with the ghost threat, but that made Jack more worried about the elementary school.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack and Maddie were sure that Phantom was a danger. However, he was at least territorial enough to fight other ghosts that showed up in his territory, which seemed to include the high school. He reacted quickly to those ghosts, but the elementary school was on its own. Fortunately, the only ghost that had shown up was the one that proclaimed himself as The Box Ghost, but the kids didn't appreciate him taking their juice boxes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack walked along the sidewalk. The path was nostalgic and invoked a feeling of melancholy. He used to walk this path with Danny every day until he was in fifth grade, when he insisted that he was old enough to walk alone. Jack knew the cracks in the sidewalk weren't the same ones he and Danny would jump over when Danny was a child. Danny had heard the rhyme, 'step on a crack, break your mother's back,' and refused to step on them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sidewalk had been replaced many times, but Jack swore he could still make out the cracks that he and Danny were sure ghosts were hiding in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack looked up and saw the playground that Danny used to play on. Danny never went back there after the Baxters' kid made fun of the Fenton's and especially Danny for believing in ghosts. Jack didn't quite blame the kid for that, though Jack had some choice words on the Baxters' parenting skills. He was sure it'd be hypocritical of him, though. He knew he had his own faults.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack remembered when he went from hero to crackpot in Danny's eyes. It was right here. Danny had been ten years old. Jack had hoped that when ghosts started showing up after all these years, Danny would see Jack as a hero again. Instead, Danny somehow got it into his head that not all ghosts were evil, unlike all other ghost hunters with any experience. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So not only was he a crackpot, he was an unreasonable one as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack sighed and turned away from the school, seeing no ghosts there. He should keep patrolling. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack made his way over towards the high school. He was halfway there when he started noticing that people were running away from the park. Usually, when people were running in Amity Park, they were running from a ghost attack.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So, of course, Jack ran straight to the fight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was Phantom, of course, and another ghost. Everyone had heard him shout at least once that he was Skulker, the Ghost Zone's greatest hunter, though Jazz still insisted on calling him “Ghost X.” The two ghosts were fighting on the ground, which was unusual, but not unheard of. Jack got closer and readied the net launcher. Phantom was a strong ghost, but it was evident that sometimes he forgot about his powers. Skulker was bigger and physically stronger than Phantom, and Phantom was losing ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You like the upgrade?" Skulker mocked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Phantom grunted as he tried to push Skulker back. "Why do you even have a Plasmius Maximus? Plasmius would never give you something like that!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He didn't. I took it myself," Skulker said, "and I've modified it." Jack mused to himself that whatever a Plasmius Maximus was, it seemed to be the reason for the two ghosts fighting on the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His mental note-taking was interrupted when Skulker brought his leg up and kicked Phantom in the stomach. The ghost boy stumbled backward. There was a snap, and Phantom screamed as a bear trap caught his foot. Phantom fell back, and Skulker jumped on top of him. He brought a knife up to Phantom's throat. "I told you I'd have your pelt on my wall."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack made a decision. Phantom was out of the fight, so if he wanted to capture Phantom as intact as possible, now was the time. He jumped out and brought the launcher up. "Freeze, spooks!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two ghosts turned toward him. Skulker's eyes narrowed in anger, while Phantom's bright green eyes widened in fear. He looked up at Jack, his eyes wide and a bit unfocused. The light cast a shadow over his face, but his eyes stood out. Jack couldn't forget them, with the glowing green eyes that marked him as a ghost. "Dad," he said quietly. It was hard to hear over the sound of the launcher powering up, along with all the other machinery that Skulker was using. Still, it came through clear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack blinked. Phantom's nose was familiar. It looked just like Maddie's. Now that he was paying attention, or maybe Phantom was slightly weaker, which made him glow less bright, he could see freckles on Phantom's face. There was still some baby fat that hadn't entirely gone away yet with age, and his hair fell in a way that was just as familiar as Phantom's nose.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, everything clicked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Danny was always out late, breaking his curfew, and Phantom was seen fighting all the time at night. Danny’s grades were dropping, and Phantom kept fighting the ghosts at school. Danny was always afraid of all their ghost hunting gear, but Phantom knew exactly how most of their designs worked, maybe even better than them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack looked down at the bear trap that had snapped Phantom's leg and then up at the knife against his throat. Finally, he looked Skulker dead in the eyes. "I am going to tear you apart. Molecule by molecule."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Skulker scoffed before Jack threw the launcher at Skulker. The weapon hit Skulker in the face and knocked him off Phantom. Jack rushed forward and checked Skulker with his shoulder. The ghost stumbled and fell to the ground, dazed, before looking at Jack. He shook his head as his eyes landed on the knife in Jack’s hand. His eyes widened in recognition as he let out a gasp, looking down at his own hand and realizing where the knife had come from. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whipping his head between Jack and Skulker, Phantom said, "Holy shit..."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Language, Danny," Jack chided. He picked up Skulker with one hand and brought the knife up. "Just give me a moment to show this spook why you should never mess with a Fenton!"</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Sam met Tucker on the sidewalk by Danny's house. She was holding an album, while Tucker was holding an external hard drive. The two of them glanced at each other, trying to hide the shaking in their limbs. Together they walked to the door, giving quick glances to try and see inside the house.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Danny tell you anything?" Sam asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Nothing," Tucker said. He held up the hard drive. "He just said that he wanted all the data on Phantom we had. Used the secure phrase we decided on and everything."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam nodded. "Ditto." She patted the album. "I mean, I don't have much, but..."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two of them sat at the door. "Think he's telling his parents?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I don't know what else it would be..." Tucker said quietly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two stared at the door handle like it was going to turn into a ghost and attack. Without warning, Sam shoved him forward. Tucker glared back at her half-heartedly and opened the door. He looked up and let out a scream before ducking and covering his PDA and the hard drive with his body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam's eyes widened, and she pulled out one of the ecto-wrist rays Danny had given her a while back and fired. Skulker's arm went flying off, but other than that, the ghost didn't react.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Aw, man! We just got that up!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Mister Fenton?" Sam asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Kids!" he shouted, appearing in the doorway. "You made it!" He swept the two of them into the house and plopped them next to Danny on the couch. He gave them a blinding smile that almost hid his glistening eyes and waved. "One second, I gotta fix that spook's arm again."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sam looked back up at Skulker and realized that he was hanging upside down and attached to the wall. His arms and legs were splayed out, and his head was bent at such an angle that would have been extremely uncomfortable. It took her a moment to register, and when it did, she slowly turned toward Danny. "Danny? Why is Skulker's armor on your wall? Like it's an animal skin?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well... my dad</span>
  <em>
    <span> is </span>
  </em>
  <span>one of the best ghost hunters around.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>